The Locarno festival closed on a high note with Saule Blyuvaite’s Lithuanian drama Poisoned taking center stage, and the main prize going to the film Kommersant. The event highlighted Blyuvaite as a rising voice in European cinema while underscoring the festival’s role in bringing Eastern European storytelling to a broader audience.
In another highlight, the Georgian feature Holy Electricity, directed by Tato Kotetishvili, earned the top honor in the Today’s Cinematographers category, signaling a strong international presence at Locarno and a fresh wave of visual experimentation across the region.
Analysts noted that the festival continued its tradition of revealing hidden cinematic talent from Eastern Europe, a segment sometimes overshadowed by larger, more globally known showcases.
Meanwhile, veteran directors Wang Bing from China and Korea’s Hong Sang-soo drew attention with more modest accolades. Wang Bing’s Youth and Hong Sang-soo’s By the Stream were acknowledged with commendations, while Hard Times received a special mention, and Hong Sang-soo’s star actress Kim Min-hee snagged the Best Actress award for By the Stream.
Critics have remarked that Saule Blyuvaite’s debut Toxic left a strong, lasting impression, earning the Golden Leopard for its fearless storytelling and kinetic energy.
Set against a blistering urban industrial backdrop, Toxic follows two young people as they struggle to transcend poverty. Their appearance and charisma become their only doorway into the glittering worlds of Paris and Tokyo. They push hard to gain entry into a modeling program, making difficult sacrifices along the way.
Observers noted the film’s bold style and expression, drawing comparisons to a notable earlier debut by Natalya Meshchaninova, released a decade ago, Nadezhda Combine, which shared a similar spirit of raw, character-driven cinema.
Earlier buzz suggested that top-tier talent would descend on the premiere night, with star Monica Bellucci accompanied by director Tim Burton delivering anticipation for the event, according to contemporary coverage. (Attribution: festival coverage by major European cinema outlets.)